The third candle on the Advent wreath is often called the Shepherd’s candle, and its message may well begin by admitting that when the angel of the Lord appeared, the shepherds were afraid. The words “God is with you” could be a cause of real fear.
But a baby isn’t frightening, and as in the experiences of the shepherd’s who had come before, like David and Moses, fear turned into joy as the presence of the Lord was made known.
Do we fear as the Lord draws near? What concerns do we have as we become aware of the presence of God? Maybe we have concerns that God will see or know too much about us. Or maybe we worry that God will enter into our lives and take over. Or maybe we are afraid that if God gets to close he will reject us.
The message of the third candle on the Advent wreath tells us to fear not – The Lord is come! He has come to all of us with the message of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love!
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